Today in TV History: Felicity Cut Her Hair and Ruined Everything

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: The success of Felicity in its first season was one of the more heartening success stories of the ’90s. What could have normally been an overlooked teen drama on the WB network instead became a critical smash, won Keri Russell a Golden Globe, and became a big star in the ever-expanding internet-commentary business, where Ben-vs-Noel debates raged in recaps and on message boards. (The correct answer was Ben, and it wasn’t close.)

Everything was perfectly set up for continued success in season 2 … and then Felicity cut all her hair off. The story went that Keri Russell sent the producers a photo of her wearing a short wig as a prank, but after the initial freakout, the producers thought it might be a fun idea for the character. Russell herself talked about how that signature mane of curly hair had become her public identity, so no doubt there was probably an impulse to rebel against that image. Whatever it was, Felicity returned to school for her sophomore year, spent the better part of two episodes navigating the choppy waters of a new relationship with Ben, and then did the unfathomable: she cut her hair.

Not a trim, either. She cut it ALL off, leaving herself with a tight-curled pixie cut that resembled … honestly, nothing anyone had really seen before. Short hair can be beautiful. Short hair on Keri Russell’s head seemed like a waste, at first; then an affront.

Did ratings go down because Felicity was moved to a different night of the week? Or did ratings go down because fans revolted, unable to watch the show again after such a follicular betrayal? When even WB executives started making allowances that maybe the haircut turned fans away, you had to wonder. The hair grew back. The viewership never did.